Panama's Minister of Labor and Workforce Development, Jackeline Muñoz, announced that 1,655 employment contracts have been registered following the reactivation of Chiquita's operations in the province of Bocas del Toro. Of these, 600 contracts are permanent. Muñoz explained that the initial stage of the reopening focuses on cleaning and maintenance of the facilities to assess the condition of the plantations before expanding hiring.
The minister stated that she will travel to Changuinola to meet with banana industry representatives and monitor the process. Chiquita's reopening is expected to generate up to 5,000 direct jobs once operations are fully restored. The first phase will employ around 3,000 workers, with an additional 2,000 positions expected by February.
The return of Chiquita to Panama follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the company and the administration of President José Raúl Mulino. The agreement establishes a technical committee composed of representatives from both the government and the company to oversee commitments and ensure compliance throughout the reactivation process.
Chiquita plans to invest approximately US$30 million to restart production on 5,000 hectares of banana plantations, to resume exports once field conditions and processing capacity have been restored.
Source: Newsroom Panama